Conference is back!
For the first time in more than 2 years we were able to meet together, in-person for our conference and training. Weyburn was a great place to host the conference this spring. A huge thank you to our Conference Host Committee of Bob Baker, Doug Mulhall and Amanda Kaufmann. Also thank you to our Conference Chair Neil Marsh for the educational and informative conference agenda that was put together. There have been many changes over the past couple of years in our industry. The biggest change being COVID. The pandemic has not just created a new approach and understanding to meetings and conferences… but also to reviews, inspections, training an how we deal and communicate with people day to day.
SBOA Examinations
SBOA examinations and certification have taken some big steps this year. On February 28th, 2022a letter was sent to Marvin Meickel, Chief Codes Administrator requesting that their office formally accepts the SBOA Certification Program (BCQ Designation) as an equivalent for Building Official Licensing requirements in Saskatchewan. In conversations since that letter Mr. Meickel has indicated that his office is looking to accept the exams after some conversation with key stakeholders in the province.
SBOA is ready to complete the final steps to close this project. This has been a huge accomplishment for SBOA and our members. There has been 7 years of hard work and energy put into this project and Building Officials now have a realistic opportunity to grow in their careers. Thank you to all of the board and committee members who were involved in this endeavour. I do want to specifically acknowledge Chris Gates, Lara Derosier and Margaret Kuzyk for completing the bulk of the work over the years. This is a great accomplishment for the SBOA membership.
New Provincial Regulations Coming in Affect
On January 1, 2022 the implementation and adoption of the Construction Codes Act, Building Code Regulation, Energy Code Regulation and Plumbing Code Regulation took place, replacing the previous UBAS Act and Regulation. SBOA participated and included the membership in the consultation as one of the key stakeholders in the regulation review. Your comments were taken and summarized in a letter submitted to Building Standards for review.
Appeals Board Nominations
We received a letter from Mr. Hawkins on March 3rd, 2022 indicating that the Building and Technical Safety Standards Branch is soliciting nominations for qualified individuals to serve on the Saskatchewan Construction Appeal Board. Nominations were to be submitted by April 29, 2022. A committee of Bob Baker (Vice-President) and Chris Gates (Past-President) was assembled to canvas the membership and provide nominations to the government.
Building Standards Advisory Committee
SBOA will follow up this conference with a letter to Building Standards requesting what the future is in regard to the current “Building Standards Advisory Committee”. As the new CC Act references a “Construction Code Advisory Council” we will confirm that this is a replacement of the previous committee. The previous committee was developed to ensure Building Standards work and effort put into Advisories and Bulletins were relevant and reflective of current Building Official needs.
Building Standards Liaison
A request was provided to Building Standards to have a member of their team sit at the Board of Directors table during meetings. This allows for clear dialogue and organized efforts between each office. Ensuring both of our time and effort is efficiently spent working toward the needs of Building Officials in the province.
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